1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle air bag system, and in particular, to an air bag restraining system which is mounted to the vehicle shoulder belt, the deployment of the air bag being automatically triggered prior to a collision by sensor means. A manual mode of deployment is also provided.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Belt restraints, both of the lap and shoulder variety, have been installed in vehicles for many years in order to reduce deaths and serious injuries resulting from collisions. Recently, air bag restraints have been installed in vehicles to provide an additional technique for reducing injuries suffered as a result of collisions.
In a typical air bag restraint system, the air bag and the devices necessary to inflate the air bag are installed, for example, in a recess in the vehicle dashboard. When a collision is detected, the air bag is automatically inflated. Typical of the prior art air bag systems are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,154 to McCullough, Jr. et al which disclose techniques for using ambient air to assist in deploying the crash restraint bag; U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,728 to Pilatzki which discloses a reinflatable air bag which is automatically inflated when the deceleration of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined amount, the inflated air bag being designed to allow the driver to see after inflation; U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,992 to Allgaier et al which discloses an inflatable gas cushion which is shaped to minimize neck injuries to a user, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,214 to Brown which discloses a roof mounted air bag which is inflated by an electrical signal generated by an impact sensing device or emergency hand switch.
Although the air bag restraint systems currently available have been designed to provide enhanced features as evidenced by the aforementioned patents, there still are serious drawbacks associated therewith. In particular, the automatic sensors currently utilized respond to impacts, i.e., collisions, and are not designed to inflate the air bag prior to impact. Further, a short time period after deployment, most air bags tend to deflate notwithstanding the real possibility that additional collisions may occur after the initial collision. In addition, air bag systems are designed primarily to protect the front portion of a user's body while ignoring the possibility of injury from a side impact. Finally, the air bag, after deployment, typically can not be reused without an expensive retrofit. In the case of older cars not having an air bag system originally installed, it is prohibitively expensive to install an air bag restraint system.
Although the use of belt restraints by the vehicle occupants have increased recently in view of statistical evidence that serious injuries and death have been prevented when they are used, shoulder belts after extended use tend to become loose, reducing their effectiveness as a safety device.
Loose belts increase the risk that serious injuries will occur if the vehicle is involved in a collision. Although belt users may be aware that a collision is imminent, they are unlikely to react in time to prepare for the collision and/or attempt to manually tighten the shoulder belt.
What is therefore desired is to provide an air bag and shoulder belt restraint system which overcomes the disadvantages of current systems as noted hereinabove.